Online Giving Basics

Step 1: In the typical online giving scenario, a donor uses a computer, tablet, or smartphone to go to your congregation website, or directly to a designated online giving page by entering a specific URL, or by using their smartphone to scan a “QR” code in a congregation bulletin or newsletter. The donor fills out a form to collect basic information needed to process the gift. With most systems, the donor is also given the option of creating an account to use for future logins (a login allows the donor to retrieve their giving history and manage any recurring gifts). Most systems also allow for one-time gifts without requiring the donor to register.

Step 2: As part of processing the transaction, some information may be stored with your online giving vendor for reporting purposes. For this reason, make sure to verify that the vendor is certified as meeting Payment Card Industry (PCI) security standards. It is important you and your donors trust that credit card and donor information is secure.

Step 3: Credit card, debit card or ACH (bank checking or savings debit) processing is usually handled by a specialized merchant services company. Some online giving vendors manage the merchant services agreement for you. With others, you are responsible for securing a merchant account separately.

Step 4: Donor funds are either deposited directly in the congregation bank account or sent as a check on some periodic basis. The timeliness of delivering funds is one of the important factors to compare between vendors.

Return to the online giving guide.